My Heart Sank With The Ship
by PintSizeGenius
Summary: Crossover with NCIS. Grissom decides to take his team on a boat trip with Gibbs' team. A recipe for disaster!
1. The Phone Call

Ok, before I start here's a little back-ground. This is set before Twilight, but Kate was still kidnapped by Ari. Grissom and Gibbs have known each other for 5 years, since Grissom did a seminar at Quantico, which Gibbs and his team attended.

This is un-betaed so all mistakes are mine. I'm not an American, so some of the geographical aspects of this fic might not be totally accurate, so excuse me for that.

I think that's about it. This is my first cross-over fic, and only the second fic i've posted, so please be nice, but i do encourage constructive critisism.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter One: The Phone Call**

Grissom and his team had just closed a quadruple homicide with two of the victims under the age of five. It hit the team hard, and they were all mentally and physically exhausted. Grissom heads to his office and sinks into his chair. He's just about to settle down with a good entomology book, when he has an idea. He picks up his phone and dials the familiar number. Someone answers on the second ring.

"Gibbs," the person says.

"Jethro, its Gil. How's your team doing?" Grissom replies.

"Gil! Nice to hear from you! My team's doing ok. How's yours?"

"Not bad. Just closed a tough one. Quadruple, with two kids under 5."

"That's rough." Jethro replies.

"Yeah. They need a break. Are your team still going on that boat trip down here tomorrow?

"Yeah. Why, you wanna join us?"

"If you and your team don't mind, I think it'll do them some good."

"Sure, the more the merrier. Just one thing – how many women will be coming?"

"Erm… just two – Catherine and Sara. Why?"

"No reason, I'll just have to keep an eye on someone…"

"Let me guess…"

"DiNozzo!" They say simultaneously. They laugh, say their goodbyes, and hang up. Grissom goes to tell the rest of his team.

He finds them all in the break room chilling and talking. Greg is the first one to notice him. "What you got for us, boss?" he asks.

"How would you all like to go on a boat trip tomorrow?" Grissom replies. At first the team is little surprised and confused. After a minute or so Warrick speaks up.

"That sounds great, Griss but don't we have to work?" he asks.

"Day and swing shift will cover all the small cases, but we will be on call if anything comes in that they can't handle."

"You serious, Grissom?" Catherine asks who's still a bit shocked.

"Yeah. A friend of mine's taking his team on a boat trip at Lake Mead and, since you guys look like you could use a break, I asked if we could join them. So unless you guys have other plans…"

"We're in!" they all chorus together.

"Good. Go home, get some rest and pack. We'll meet back here tomorrow at 6am, ok?"

"Gotcha boss," they reply. They all rush out of the break room to go pack. However, Catherine hangs back. "Grissom?" she asks hesitantly.

"Don't worry, Cath, Lindsay can come if she wants," he says.

"I don't think she would want too." Cath says. "But, my nanny's out sick…"

"I can arrange for someone to watch her." Gil says encouragingly.

"Thanks, Gil." She gives him a small kiss on the cheek and heads out. Grissom watches her go, and then heads back to his office to make a few calls.


	2. Introductions

I was gonna wait until I got a few more reviews before I posted this, but I'm feeling kind, so I'm posting it now.

**Chapter Two: Introductions**

The next morning, the whole group is standing outside the crime lab waiting for Gibbs and his team to come pick them up. Grissom hadn't yet told the team who would be accompanying them on this trip. Soon, Catherine's curiosity got the better of her. She approached Grissom. "So, Gil, who's this friend of yours?" she asks.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, lead agent at the NCIS base in Virginia."

"NCIS? Is that like CSI?" Greg asks.

"Only if you're dyslexic." A voice said behind them. The CSIs turn round and see a young man in a leather jacket and shades and a slightly younger man in less fashionable attire standing in front of a truck. An older man and a young woman get out of the truck and they join the two young men.

The older man smacks the young troublemaker round the head and says, "Shut it, DiNozzo."

"Sorry, boss," DiNozzo quickly replies, whilst the others smirk and snigger. The group head over.

"Gil. Long time no see." They share a manly hug. "So this is your team," he says.

"Yes. Let me introduce you. Jethro, this is Catherine Willows, my right-hand," he says leading Gibbs over to the group. Jethro shakes her hand.

"Welcome to Nevada, Jethro," she says.

"Please, call me Gibbs. Everybody does." She nods and Grissom guides Gibbs over to the others.

"This is Nick Stokes, Warrick Brown and Sara Sidle, all CSI 3," Grissom continues. They all shake hands.

"Nice to meet you all. And who's the kid who's never heard of us?" Gibbs asks.

"That's Greg Sanders. Ex DNA lab tech, now CSI 1."

"I see. Nice to meet you, kid" Gibbs replies. He shakes hands with Greg.

"Thanks, you too," Greg replies. "By the way, what is NCIS anyway?" Gibbs laughs then explains.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service. We investigate crimes involving the Navy and Marines." Greg nods, impressed.

"So, who's your team?" Nick asks. Gibbs turns to his team and proceeds to introduce them.

"Well, this is Special Agent Kate Todd, ex secret service for Air force 1," he says.

"Sweet," Warrick says. Kate blushes as Warrick sends one of his charming smiles her way. This doesn't go unnoticed by Catherine, who gives Kate a dirty look.

"I see you've already met Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo."

"Please, call me Tony," DiNozzo says, flashing his trademark smile at Sara, who blushes.

"Is he always like that?" Sara asks.

"Yeah, pretty much. You get used to it." Gibbs replies. Nick sees DiNozzo checking Sara out and sends a glare his way.

"And the guy next to him is the newest member of our team; Special Agent Timothy McGee. Graduated from MIT." Gibbs continues. Everyone shakes hands.

"Great. Now we all know each other, let's get this show on the road!" Greg says and they all pile into the truck and take off to Lake Mead.

* * *


	3. Tempers Flare

Here's the next chapter. I might post the next one later on today, if y'all review! I appriciate you putting me on your alerts, but I really would appriciate some more reviews, otherwise it seems pointless posting this. Anywayz, here it is.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Tempers Flare**

An hour or so later, the truck pulls up at the lake. Everyone jumps out and takes in the view. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Sara asks Tony.

"Not as beautiful as you," he replies smoothly. Sara blushes and leans into him as he casually puts his arm round her shoulders and pulls her closer. Nick sees this and punches the side of the truck in frustration. Catherine notices this and heads over. "Hey, what's the truck ever done to you?" she asks jokily.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Cath," he replies.

"What's up?" she asks concerned.

"That," he answers distastefully, pointing to where Tony was whispering something in Sara's ear, causing her to burst into hysterical laughter.

"Ah, I see. I know how you feel," she says, glancing over to where Warrick was casually flirting with Kate.

"I don't know what she sees in that bastard," Nick thinks aloud.

"You got it bad, Nicky. Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Catherine asks.

"Cause, what if she doesn't feel the same way? I don't wanna ruin our friendship." Nick says.

"Nicky, you won't know until you try," she says and walks off to join Greg and McGee, who were watching the boats on the lake. Nick leans against the truck and lets out an exasperated sigh. He now knows what he has to do. He goes to join the others who were heading down to the docks.

Everyone follows Gibbs and Grissom, who are engrossed in a conversation about bugs, as they make their way down the docks to the boat. When they arrive at the boat, they all climb aboard and Gibbs takes the wheel, and eases the boat out of the dock. Everyone splits into groups and spreads out around the boat. Grissom and Gibbs are still engaged in a conversation about bugs, Nick, Warrick, Greg and McGee are in the cabin playing poker, and Catherine and Kate are in the cabin also, talking and watching the boys play cards.

"Hey, has anyone seen Tony? He's missing out on all the fun," McGee asks.

"I saw him and Sara head out onto the north deck about five minutes ago. They looked pretty cosy," Kate says, whispering something to Catherine, which sends them both into hysterics. The boys just roll their eyes at them and continue their game. Nick is fuming, but tries not to show it, although Warrick notices that something's up.

"You ok, Nick?" Warrick asks, concerned.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just… need to get a little air." Nick says. He gets up and heads out onto the north deck.

When he's out of sight, Greg asks, "What's his problem?" Everyone shrugs, and continues with what they were doing, leaving Greg very confused.


	4. Love Triangle

**Chapter Four: Love Triangle**

Sara and Tony are standing, in each other's arms, on the north deck, admiring the view.

"Sara, I know this is kinda sudden, but i was wondering, do you want to go out with me sometime?" Tony asks hesitantly.

"Sure, Tony, I'd like that." Sara replies, looking into his eyes. She slowly inches closer to him, until their lips are almost touching. Tony smiles, and then closes the gap, kissing her softly and tenderly. Just as the kiss starts to grow more passionate, Nick walks out onto the deck. He sees the kiss, and the rage that has been bubbling up inside him all day explodes. He storms over to where Sara and Tony were standing.

"Get off her!" he shouts. Tony and Sara quickly separate. Nick grabs Tony by the collar, and lifts him up. "What the fuck do you think you're doing with _my_ Sara, you bastard!" he says menacingly.

"Hey man, chill, I didn't know she was taken, seriously." Tony pleads.

"Your Sara? I'm no-one's possession! We're not even together, Nick!" Sara says angrily and storms off onto the other deck. Both Nick and Tony go to follow her, but Nick pushes Tony back.

"Touch her, you die," Nick threatens. He leaves a very scared Tony and follows Sara.

He looks around for her, and sees her sitting on one of the benches, crying. He walks over to her, and sits down beside her. She turns away from him, and buries her head in her hands.

"Sara," Nick starts, placing his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugs it off. "Sara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I don't what happened. It's just…seeing you with that guy made something inside me snap."

"Don't you want me to be happy, Nick?" Sara asks, turning around to face him.

"Of course, Sara, all I want is for you to be happy." Nick replies. He reaches up and brushes the tears from Sara's cheeks. She shivers under his touch. "I know that other guys have treated you badly in the past, and if I could, I would personally make them pay for all the pain they've caused you." He continues. He takes her hand in his. Sara fights back more tears, as Nick looks her in the eye. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again, Sara. I've heard what the others say about him and it's not good, Sara. He goes through five girls a month!" Sara laughs at that. Nick smiles and continues. "I couldn't bear it if he upset you. It'd tear me up inside. But, if you think that Tony is the right guy for you… then I won't stand in your way… no matter how much it hurts me."

"Nick…" Sara starts, but stops and looks down at the floor, trying to hide the tears, which are now falling freely down her face.

"What is it, Sara?" Nick asks gently, placing two fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Tony isn't the right guy for me. I was just… lonely." Sara says in a voice no louder than a whisper. Nick gently puts his arm around her, and pulls her to him. She lays her head on his chest, snuggling close to him, and cries. She closes her eyes, enjoying the closeness, and Nick's welcoming scent. Nick lets her calm down, just holding her close and gently stroking her hair. He places gentle kisses on her head. Sara's sobs get quieter until she regains her composure.

"Sara, you don't have to be lonely. I will always be there for you, and I will always love you… even if you don't love me." Nick says sadly. She looks up so her eyes are level with his. As she looks into them all she can see is love. He wipes the tears from her eyes with the pad of his thumb and cups her face with his hands. Sara, unable to convey her feelings with words, leans in and catches his lips with hers in a gentle, but loving kiss. Nick is surprised at first, but soon responds, putting his arms round her waist and pulling her to him. She wraps her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. When the need for oxygen becomes over-powering, they break apart, resting their foreheads together.

"I love you too, Nick. I always have and I always will." Sara says, with love and sincerity in her voice. He brings her in for another long, passionate kiss, then takes her by the hand and leads her back to join the others in the cabin.


	5. The Fight

**Chapter Five: The Fight**

An hour later, the boat arrives back at the docks. Everyone disembarks and gathers on the pier. "That was fun!" Greg says, "Except when McGee puked over the side!" This makes everyone laugh.

"It's not my fault I get sea-sick!" McGee protests. This just makes everyone laugh more.

When everyone calms down, Grissom asks, "Who's ready for lunch?"

Greg is the first to answer. "Yeah man, I'm starving!" Everyone agrees and heads to the nearest restaurant. They walk in and take a seat at a round table at the back of the restaurant – clockwise from the top: Gibbs, Grissom, Catherine, Sara, Nick, Greg, McGee, Kate, Warrick, and Tony.

They order their food, and while they wait, they pass the time with casual conversation. Grissom is talking to Gibbs about the miniature killer case; Greg is messing about making paper aeroplanes with his napkin and throwing them at the passing waiters. McGee apologizes to the annoyed servers and tries to get Greg to stop, without much success. But one stern look from Grissom soon puts him right. Warrick and Kate are talking about general stuff sitting a little too close for comfort, whilst Catherine looks on with hatred, thinking up a master plan to get Warrick's attention. Tony is in a similar situation. He's watching as Sara and Nick share laid-back kisses and whispered "I love yous." A few minutes later, the waiter comes with their appetisers, which were mostly salads. Everyone tucks in, except Tony, who's lost his appetite.

Kate notices and says, "Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when Tony DiNozzo turns down food!" Everyone laughs, but Tony just glares at them.

"What's his problem?" Greg asks. Everyone just laughs.

After a while, the constant flirting between Nick and Sara gets too much for Tony and he blurts out, "Get a room, lover boy!"

Nick breaks away from a loving kiss with Sara and says, "You talking to me?"

"Yeah you, cowboy. Can't you do that someplace else, some people are trying to eat!" Nick stands up and heads over to him. Tony stands up too and they face each other, glaring into each others eyes.

"You better shut it before I do something I'll regret!" Nick says menacingly.

"Bring it on!" Nick punches Tony square in the jaw, which catches him by surprise, making him stumble backward, almost knocking a waiter, and the tray of hot soup he's carrying, flying. Tony recovers and punches Nick in the eye. He laughs as Nick falls to the ground, making Nick even angrier. They continue fighting, whilst Grissom and Gibbs try and break them apart. Gibbs grabs Tony by the collar and pulls him away, and Grissom grabs Nick and pushes him away from the table.

When Gibbs is out of earshot of the others, he slaps Tony round the head. "What were you thinking, DiNozzo! We're their guests, that's no way to treat them when they have been nothing but nice to us! What's got into you?" Gibbs says in a voice Tony hasn't heard before. Tony looks at the floor, feeling very embarrassed.

"Sorry boss. I guess my jealously got the better of me," he says.

"You think, DiNozzo!" Gibbs says, still fuming. He whacks him round the head again and escorts him back to his seat.

Meanwhile, Grissom is trying to calm Nick down. "What was all that about, Nicky. That's no way to treat our guests!" Grissom says, although he was not as angry as Gibbs, just disappointed.

"I'm sorry Griss, he just got to me. Won't happen again," Nick says apologetically. Grissom is about to give him another lecture, but Sara comes over with a bag of ice for Nick's eye. He gratefully accepts and Sara guides him back to the table. The rest of the meal goes relatively smoothly, although Tony and Nick are on-edge throughout. Grissom notices the tension, and after everyone has finished their main meal, they head out.


	6. The Accident

**Chapter Six: The Accident**

In the afternoon, Grissom and his team decide to give the NCIS team a tour of Las Vegas to walk off their meal. They are walking along the Strip, Grissom and Gibbs leading, still discussing past cases, the current topic being the hostage situation with Ari a few months back. Behind them Sara was walking with Tony.

"I'm sorry about how I acted in the restaurant, Sara. I guess I got a little jealous. Nick sure is one lucky guy." Tony says. "But I know how much you love him; I can see it in your eyes. But if he ever does anything to hurt you… you know where to find me." Sara laughs. Just as they approach the Mirage Casino, a cyclist whirls round the corner, knocking Sara off her feet. She falls to the ground, her head hitting the sidewalk with enough force to knock her unconscious. Tony immediately drops to her side, but is soon pushed out of the way by Nick, who rushes to her side. He shakes her, shouting her name.

"Sara, baby, please wake up! Don't do this to me, baby girl! Wake up, girl, wake up!" Grissom frantically calls for ambulance, whilst the others gather round and try to rouse Sara. Tears are cascading down Nick's face, as he leans over Sara's lifeless body. The sound of sirens can be heard echoing down the strip, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Sara is put on a stretcher and hauled into the ambulance. Nick jumps in after her, never letting go of her pale, cold hand.

The paramedic shouts, "Room for one more!" Everyone looks at each other. Just as Catherine moves to get in, Tony jumps into the ambulance, ignoring the questioning looks from the rest of the team. The ambulance tears off into the rush hour traffic, and the others jump into various cars and taxis and follow it, all worried about Sara.

The ambulance reaches the hospital and Sara is wheeled away, leaving Nick to watch with tear filled eyes. The others arrive. Grissom goes to talk to the doctors, whilst the others wait and comfort Nick.

"This is all my fault," Tony says, pacing the floor.

"It's not your fault, DiNozzo. It's that stupid cyclist's fault." Kate says, trying to set Tony's mind at rest.

An hour later, Sara is on a ward, conscious, hooked up to many machines, tubes sticking out from almost every orifice. Nick and Tony are by her side; Nick holding her hand, and occasionally bringing it to his lips and places gentle kisses on her knuckles. Tony was sitting in the chair opposite, his head hung dejectedly. He runs out before the tears building behind his lids can fall. Nick watches him leave, wondering why he is so upset.

"Go after him, Nick. He blames himself. Please talk some sense into him… for me," Sara says, weakly. Nick nods, placing a kiss on her forehead before going to find Tony. He finds him just down the hall, slumped against the wall, tears rolling down his cheeks. Nick sits down next to him, feeling a little awkward after their confrontation earlier, but when he sees the harrowing look in Tony's eyes, he is instantly concerned.

"It's not your fault, Tony. You can't beat yourself up about this, man. She's gonna be fine." Tony doesn't even acknowledge Nick's presence.

"I'm guessing this isn't just about Sara, is it?" Tony shakes his head. "Tell me what happened, man. Maybe I can help." Tony turns to Nick, and sees utter concern in his deep, brown eyes, and suddenly feels the need to spill everything out to him.

"You know Kate got taken hostage, right? By this psycho terrorist?" Nick nods. "That was the scariest moment of my life. I felt guilty for letting her go down there on her own. I felt helpless watching her. And then, a few months ago, he kidnapped her, right from under my nose! And I was too busy chasing after some dumb blonde to notice! I felt so stupid."

"It wasn't your fault…" Nick tries to say, but Tony interrupts.

"Yes, it was! I could've helped her… I could've stopped him… I could've lost her…" he says, his voice breaking with emotion. Nick had always suspected that Tony cared for Kate, but he didn't know how much, until now. He now realised, Tony loved her. And he felt guilty and responsible, and when Sara was injured right in front of him, all those feelings came flooding back. He comforts Tony, as he continues to cry.

A few minutes later, Tony regains his composure. "Don't tell Gibbs, will ya? If apologizing is a sign of weakness, god knows what crying is." Tony says with a chuckle.

"No worries, man, your secret's safe with me. And, hey, when you get the chance, tell Kate how you feel. I'm sure she feels the same way." Nick says before they enter Sara's room.


	7. The Dance

**Chapter Seven: The Dance**

Sara is discharged from the hospital with a mild concussion and a bottle of painkillers. That evening, she feels well enough to go out with the rest of the gang. They go to a nightclub on the Strip, with Gibbs' team before they have to return to Virginia.

Everyone orders drinks at the bar and takes a seat. Warrick asks Kate to dance, which she gratefully accepts. Tony gives Warrick a dirty look as he escorts Kate onto the dance floor.

"Come on, baby. I'm feeling in a dancing mood. Let me see some of those moves, Cowboy." Sara says, giving Nick a wink, before heading onto the dance floor. Nick flashes Sara his trademark grin.

"I'll be there in a sec, baby. Just let me talk to Tony for a minute." Nick says, and watches Sara walk off. "Now you're chance, buddy. Go to Kate, ask to cut in, and tell her how you feel."

"What do I say to her?" Tony asks. _Wow, what's wrong with me? I've never had trouble talking to girls. _

"Just say what's in your heart, man." Nick said before going to join Sara who looked rather lonely dancing by herself.

Tony watches the others dancing. Even McGee and Greg had picked up chicks. _Now's your chance, Tony, go get her. _Tony got up. Just then, the DJ switched songs from an upbeat dance anthem to a slow love ballad. Warrick wraps his arms around Kate and holds her close, as she rests her head against his shoulder. Jealously bubbles through Tony's veins. He strides over to them and taps roughly on Warrick's shoulder. He turns around.

"Mind if I cut in, mate?" Tony says through clenched teeth. Warrick gives him a questioning look, but once he sees the angry look in Tony's eyes, he steps aside. Tony wraps his arms around Kate's waist and they sway to the music.

"What'ya up to, DiNozzo?" Kate asks suspiciously. Tony licks his lips nervously and clears his throat before speaking.

"Kate, you and me… we're friends, right? I mean… we've known each other for…coming on for two years now…" Tony falters. Kate gives him a reassuring smile, which he returns.

"Well, over the past six months, I've started to see you as… well more than just a friend… I'm just gonna come right out and say it, ok? I like you! A lot… I may even love you." Kate's eyes widen in shock at his revelation. "I've never felt this way about a girl before, Kate. I've never been in love. Sure, I've said the words so many times, but I've never meant it. But, you're different." By now, the music had died down, and everyone was watching them, but Tony didn't care. "You're the first thing I think of in the morning, and the last person I see before I fall asleep. Your smile cheers me up when I'm down, your laugh rings in my head, and haunts my dreams…" Kate eyes begin to well up with tears; a few escape from her lids and trickle down her cheeks. Tony reaches up and wipes them with the pad of his thumb, staring deeply into her chocolate brown eyes, smiling his trademark smile. "I love you, Kate." He gently tilts her head up and captures her lips in a tender, fleeting kiss. She barely has time to react before he pulls away. Kate just stares into his eyes, still too shocked to speak. Tony begins to regret his decision to reveal his inner most feelings to Kate. "I… er… it's ok if you…" he stammers. He turns, embarrassed, and walks out of the back door of the club.

By now, a heavy rainstorm had rolled over the city and was sending clashes of thunder across the sky, and sheets of rain hurtling towards the ground, soaking Tony to the bone. Kate, realising what has happened, runs after him. She finds him pacing up and down the alley outside the bar, cursing himself for being so stupid. She runs towards him, and grabs his arm to stop him pacing. He turns towards her. Although it's hard to see through the rain, she's sure he's been crying. She's surprised; Tony DiNozzo doesn't cry. Kate reaches up and wipes the tears away, just as he had done with her. He leans into her hand. Kate reaches up and places a gentle kiss onto Tony's lips. "I love you too, Tony." His eyes light up and he wraps her in a tight embrace before kissing her once more. They pull away both sporting grins that would give the Cheshire cat a run for its money and head back into the club to join the others. A few hours later they left the club, exhausted. Grissom's team go home, whilst Gibbs checked his team into a hotel on the Strip, as they had missed their flight back to Virginia.


	8. Goodbye

**Chapter Eight: ****The Goodbye**

The next morning, both teams are gathered in the waiting area at McCarran International Airport.

"It was nice to see you, Gil. We should do this again, sometime." Gibbs says, giving Grissom's hand a firm shake, before pulling him in for a hug.

"Definitely, Jethro. Have a safe journey home." Meanwhile, Tony's talking to Nick.

"Hey, no hard feelings?" Nick asks, gesturing towards Sara who was chatting to Catherine and Kate.

"Course not, mate. I can see the way she looks at you. You deserve her. But, if you ever do anything to hurt her… I know where you work." Tony says in a serious tone. Nick laughs, before replying in the same tone.

"Don't worry, I would never hurt her." Nick says. They head over to where the girls are chatting. Nick wraps his arms round Sara's waist, and rests his chin on her head. "Hey baby," he drawls, giving her a gentle kiss. Tony does the same to Kate, which makes the girls laugh. Suddenly, a distorted voice booms across the room.

"Flight 465 to Richmond, Virginia has been delayed due to hazardous weather conditions. We're sorry for the inconvenience. We hope to be in the air within the hour."

"Great. Looks like we're gonna be hanging around for a bit." Kate says.

"You guys wanna grab something to eat? I'm starving." Tony asks.

"You're always hungry." Kate says, laughing. So, Nick, Sara, Kate and Tony head off in search of food. They find a small café and order some breakfast.

"Since we've got some time, let's find out a bit more about each other. Tony, where did you go to school?" Nick asks.

"Well, my dad enrolled me in military school in Rhode Island. Said I needed the discipline. The platoon leader in charge of my barracks was strict… he had a walking stick, and if anything was out of order… let's just say, I still have the scars."

"Tony, you never told me that." Kate says, stroking Tony's hand in support.

"You never asked." Tony shrugs it off. The waiter brings their food, and conversation is temporarily stopped whilst they eat. The waiter returns and clears their plates away.

"After I finally escaped from the academy, I got a BA in Phys Ed at Ohio State, and then got a job at Baltimore PD, before being recruited for Gibbs' team. What about you, Sara?"

"Erm… I didn't have the greatest childhood, but found my escape when I got accepted to Harvard."

"You went to Harvard? Wow, what was it like?" Kate asks.

"The best four years of my life. Well, at the time. I finally felt like I belonged, I was surrounded by people who were just like me. It was great. I got a job at the San Francisco coroner's office, before being transferred to their crime lab."

"How did you end up in Vegas?" Tony asks.

"I met Grissom at a conference nine years ago, and when one of his trainee CSIs got shot at her first crime scene, he called me, and offered me a job here. That's the best thing that ever happened to me. At last, I felt like I was loved, I finally had a family."

Suddenly, the distorted voice returned. "Flight 465 to Richmond, Virginia, is now boarding. Please proceed to the gate. Thank-you for your co-operation."

"That's us. We better go find the others." Tony says. They pay the waiter, and rush off the find the rest of the team. They enter the waiting area, and find Gibbs and McGee.

"Hey, where are the others?" Nick asks, a little worried.

"Someone named Ecklie called, said they was a big scene down on the Strip. Gil and the others headed down there. He told me to tell you two to get back to the lab ASAP."

"We better go. Have a great flight, and I hope we can do this again sometime." Nick says, hugging Kate and shaking Tony, McGee and Gibbs' hands. Gibbs and his team wave goodbye as Nick and Sara hurry off. They then proceed to the gate and board the plane, watching out the window as they fly away from Sin City and their new found friends.

* * *

That's the end. I hope you enjoyed it! 


End file.
